Take It And Run Thursday - Finding (and Maintaining) Balance

I wrote this post on Tuesday, but was pleasantly surprised to learn that it's this week's "Take It And Run Thursday" topic over at The Runner's Lounge. Since posting it, I was able to accomplish my main goal for Tuesday: get to the gym, get in a great workout, and get home and put a healthy dinner in my body. Done and done! Although I still struggle with working up the motivation to exercise AFTER work, I'm thrilled that I made myself do it.

Enjoy!
~Jessica

This week, I've been doing an entirely different kind of running -- the kind that involves racing from meeting to meeting, flitting from obligation to obligation, and barely having time to sit still. This morning, I'm at home, because I'm waiting for Sleep Number (yay!) to come deliver my new bed. It's a throwback to just two weeks ago, when EVERY morning was like this. I've got laundry spinning away, the house is (somewhat) clean. Dinner is prepped, gym bag is packed, and it's beautiful morning... and in about an hour, when, hopefully the deliverymen have come and gone, I'll put on my heels, button my jacket, get in my car, and head into the office.

I've barely had time to SIT in the past week, let alone run. In fact, I haven't "officially" worked out since Tuesday, although last night's planned workout morphed into my moving around all my furniture and doing a pretty intense cleaning session in preparation for the new bed!

I went out late on Friday night, and wasn't feeling up for my Saturday run. I post-poned until Sunday, but then the day was filled with rain. It was frustrating, because I really wanted to get it done... wanted to "outsmart my job" a little bit and prove to myself that I am capable of maintaining my old athletic schedule while still working 8-5. So, week 1... that didn't really happen. I did manage to make it to Cardi02 on Tuesday, but had to skip on Thursday due to an after-work meeting with my ad agency.

The other part of the equation is food -- and my breakfasts, lunches, and snacks were spot on. But dinners completely fell apart last week.

This week, I'm determined to do better, and so far I have. I managed to put a healthy dinner on my table last night, despite also putting in a full work day. I have tonight's lunch and dinner prepped and ready to go, and my gym bag is in the car. I'll leave work around 5:15 and head to Cardi02 today, where Scary Trainer Liz will kick my ass into shape. Rinse, repeat on Thursday, and on Friday morning, when I meet her for a 7 AM 1:1 training session. Oy.

How do you balance it all?

I'm doing great at a few things -- kicking ass at work, keeping up with laundry and housework, both food and exercise are mediocre, and the one thing I'm sucking at is probably being a girlfriend -- a big sorry to My Man, who has been dealt mood swings and crankiness and major OCD over the past week in a way he probably never expected. ;-)

I'm now a solid week behind on training for the half marathon, close to two weeks if you count the weekday runs that I've missed. Is this still doable? I guess I'll find out on Saturday, when I attempt 8 or 9 miles.

How do YOU balance it all, and still find time to enjoy life? Tips? Advice? Experiences to share?

Off and running,
~Jessica

Getting In The Gruve

This week has brought on a lot of changes for me, namely the start of my new job, but it's not like I just switched from one office / position / company to another... after officing out of my home for nearly 5 years, this is a HUGE change. Suddenly I'm up at 6:30 and throwing myself into the shower, slamming down coffee before blow drying my hair and getting my butt in the car to sit in rush hour traffic in order to get to an office 20 miles away by 8 AM...

Okay, it's not THAT bad (I am nothing if not dramatic!), but it's definitely different. I've always been an early riser, so the 6:30 AM wake-up call is nothing new... but now, instead of leisurely enjoying a cup of coffee in my yoga pants while watching the morning news and eating breakfast... instead of working for a few hours from my sofa before heading to the gym... instead of having the flexibility to run errands / grocery shop / clean / do laundry whenever I want, I'm suddenly thrust back into a life I don't even remember -- that of deadlines, commutes, timelines, suits & high heels, staff meetings, and "business hours."

In many ways I've been really ready for it -- while the lifestyle of my old job was fantastic, I started to get lonely during the day... started to crave more human interaction and teamwork. My boyfriend teases me because after only 2 days of this schedule, I'm so exhausted at night I can barely keep my eyes open -- this morning when I woke, after a blissful 8 hours of sleep, my body actually HURT.

In terms of exercise, this is obviously taking a toll. Gone are the days of 10 AM runs, 2 PM yoga classes, and 3 PM doggy dates at the park. Yesterday, I left the office at 5 and made it to Cardi02... and had a great workout, but damn was I tired. Say nothing of my achey legs and knees, sore and tired from wearing high heels two days in a row (note to self: must buy some stylish flats this weekend). In my 20s, working out in the evening was my preference, but as I've gotten a bit older and my circadium rhythms have firmly established me as "A MORNING PERSON," now I just feel drained at the end of the day. If I go home in between work and the gym, it's all over, forget it, not gonna happen. I feel the most energy before noon, or at the very least, before 3 PM. But times are a'changin -- and I must go with the flow.

Enter GRUVE --
On my first day at work, I forgot the little bugger at home. OOOPS. I was actually really irritated by that, because I was excited to see how much foot traffic I generated for myself during the day. I went to bed SO DETERMINED not to forget it again that I didn't charge it, rather left it with all my jewelry. So on Day 2, the battery died around noon (which means it didn't even register my killer workout last night, which involved alternating between intervals of running at a 10% incline, and running a 7 MPH. OUCH.

Today is Day 3, and I've got a fully charged GRUVE firmly locked on my hip. I took the stairs this morning to get to my desk, and have a packed gym bag in the car -- not sure if I'll actually GO to the gym today, but at least I get an "A" for effort (And if I do go, it will just be a strength training day -- my little legs need a day to recover from that brutal treadmill workout!)

As for running... sigh... I have dead legs right now. I'm training for this half marathon, and it's not going great. I did my 7 miler on Friday and haven't run (other than intervals on the treadmill) since. It's perfect running weather, and I'm stuck behind a desk. Woe is me. I know that the answer is to get up early and go before work, but that hasn't happened yet this week, and frankly, I've been so mentally and physically exhausted, that it sounds like death.

(I forgot how tiring it is to be around PEOPLE all day).

On that note -- I've got a full day of meetings, starting in 15 minutes, and a lot of work to dive into. But before I go --

This Thursday at 4 PM is sort of a grassroots / viral GRUVE event -- wherever you are, whatever you're doing, try to step away and step outside and go for a 30 minute walk. If you're at work, consider taking your meeting outdoors. If you can't do 4 PM, find a time that works for you. The point is... get your GRUVE on, and get out there and MUVE.

Plan for the rest of the week:
Wednesday: Strength
Thursday: Morning Cardio (I have a meeting downtown from 12-5 and then a happy hour)
Friday: Strength
Saturday: long run -- 8 miles. Totally not ready. Dead legs.
Sunday: REST!

Off and running,
Jessica

The One In Which She Remembers Why She Hates To Run With Other People

You know, some days, you just have an off day.

Mine was yesterday. I had taken Tuesday off from Cardi02, and woke up yesterday ready to hit it pretty hard. The day off had refreshed and rejuvenated me out of my tired slump. When I got to the gym at noon, Scary Trainer Liz informed us that we'd be running outoors.

SCORE -- it was absolutely gorgeous out... 70s, sunny... the first PERFECT Minneapolis spring day of the year, and I was thrilled to go outside.

So we all hustled outside and started into a jog. I very quickly fell behind the group of 10 or so... there were a few things at play here.

1) I am just a really slow runner, and I'm okay with that -- it's never been about speed or pace for me, just about "finishing without dying" and enjoying the experience -- an outdoor workout is a much more meaningful experience for me, more therapeutic and almost spiritual. If I want to "work it," I'll stick to the treadmill, elliptical, and blaring music, thankyouverymuch.

2) The New Balance shoes I bought a few weeks ago, I've decided, do not have enough arch support for me, so I wore my old pair of Asics... with the custom orthodics in them. And while that helped in terms of arch support, it definitely will take some getting used to in terms of comfort, weight, and positioning -- that was the most I"ve ever run in those shoes, probably not a great idea on my part, but I didn't realize we'd be outdoors.

3) It was beautiful out, but hot compared to the past few weeks weather, and I wasn't really dressed in the best clothes for that, nor was I really ready for it... takes some adjustment after months of dressing in 5 layers!

4) I apologize in advice to my male readers, but I was right on the cusp of getting my period, which makes for the following: tired, achey, cranky, emotional, and SLOW. I felt like I was running through molasses. I've never been one to complain about female issues, but the one thing that NEVER fails it that I am absolutely EXHAUSTED, and I lack a lot of coordination.

Anyway.

It was one of those runs that reminded me why I've always "hated running with other people." I put that in quotes, because as I've been training for this half marathon with Kat, I've really enjoyed our runs together -- she speeds me up, I slow her down, and it's a great way to take time out of my busy schedule, both to catch up with a good girlfriend while doing something good for me. The Cardi02 class has been fun, because while we're "running together," it's on treadmills, which means that nobody is speeding up or slowing down to keep in pace with anybody else.

But YESTERDAY... I did NOT have fun. I was frustrated, and emotional, and I just felt like "Well screw this, if I had known we were going to go outdoors, I would have just gone alone."

I ACTUALLY felt like crying at one point (my eyes MIGHT have welled up).

I hate feeling like that. I'm a positive, optimistic person with a great attitude, and it's an attribute that makes me proud. Yesterday, I just wanted to quit and walk back to the gym. It was one of those days where every time the wind blew in the wrong direction, I was pissed off about it.

But I persavered -- and came in last, and CHOSE not to care. Sometimes, the competitive edge that I've "always been so sure I don't have" shines through and gets the better of me -- yesterday, it was going into overdrive when a very nice guy in my class, Wade, jogged to the back of the pack and ran the finish with me... so that I didn't have to go it alone. Wade is training for his first marathon -- the GREECE marathon! -- and we joked about Pheidippides, and how I felt like dying after just these few miles, and suddenly I was speeding up to keep his pace, and the world didn't seem so awful anymore.

I've had the week off of work before starting a new job on Monday -- one that will put me behind a desk from 8-5 each day, and will definitely make me have to plan my workout times better. It's cool out, and slightly overcast with sun peeking through -- my favorite running weather -- I'm opting to do Week 4's long run a day early, so that I can enjoy my Friday night, sleep in Saturday morning, and spend the weekend gearing up -- mentally and physically -- to return to the world of 9-5.

I'm going by myself today -- not only to operate on my own schedule, pace, and geography -- but also in hopes of having one of those "head-clearing-runs" that I can only have when I'm alone with my little red iPod and the sounds of the world.

So away I go. 7 miles.

Off and running,
~JessiferSeabs

PS: Thanks Wade.

Training: Week Three

Today mark's the successful completion of Week 3 of training -- and I just got home from running 6 miles / walking 1, for a grand total of 7 miles in 1:43:29 and 833 calories burned.

I ran to the Minnehaha Falls, which is kind of a Minneapolis landmark, and snapped that picture with my camera-phone... knowing that such beauty was at the half-way mark is what kept me going through the first 3.5 miles.

(Knowing that a hot shower, lunch, and my sofa were at the OTHER end of the half-way mark is what kept me going through the LAST 3.5 miles).

But it was a beautiful day for running, and there were people and puppies and kids and sunshine and smiles everywhere. Which is good, because I was NOT in tip-top shape today.

Kat and I went out separate ways in terms of training this week, which was both good and bad. Good, because it reminded me that I CAN do this without the necessarily accountability of meeting somebody, and also because I made some questionable eating/ drinking choices the two nights before running days, which means... I kinda sucked it. Bad because the knowledge that I wasn't screwing anybody over if i sucked it kept me from being as accountable about food, booze, and sleep as I normally am.

Oh, I still DID it, but it sucked. Especially today. 6 miles was SIGNIFICANTLY harder than 5 miles, and I think that was mostly due to what I call "the night before effect."

Instead of my usual relaxing Friday, with a pasta dinner, water, and an early bedtime, I was a party girl last night. It was my last day at work, so happy hour was a necessity. I think that during my run today, I literally sweated out beer and nachos. Gross.

But I still did it, and I can now cross Week Three off the list!

In other fitness news... I met with Scary Trainer Liz on Tuesday morning to talk about training plans, both for the half marathon, and in general. Since I'm taking her cardio class, I don't need to do QUITE as much running as my original training plans dictate -- we've come up with this schedule instead:

Monday: Run
Tuesday: Cardi02 Class
Wednesday: Strength / Core
Thursday: Cardi02 Class
Friday: Strength / Core
Saturday: LONG Run
Sunday: REST

She also readjusted my mileage chart so that I'm only training up to 10 miles -- RELIEF.

When I trained for the full, I only trained up to 20 miles, and when I set out on training for the half last summer, the program was only up to 10 miles. I was suprised to see this program go up to 12 miles, but figured I'd go with the flow. Training up to 10 gives me a nice long taper.

On Tuesday morning, I'll be meeting with her one on one for a strength program she's designed for me -- I'll meet with her two more times before the race to see how I'm doing and touch base. The plan is very do-able because when I go back to work on 4/20, I'll switch to the 6 PM Cardi02 class, and can do strength either at the office gym or at the Lifetime location near my office... and since it's just strength and not cardio, that means that I'll be able to just rinse off quick and head back to work, rather than the full shower / dry / style hair deal. Awesome.

So! Now that I'm done early (and "Gruvin' in Green" by 10:30 AM, I may add), I have a pretty great little day planned: to reward myself for training + a "last day of work" treat, I'm off to the spa at 1 for a massage and facial. Then I'll probably hit the dog park before meeting some friends for dinner. A perfect day.

And tomorrow, Easter, will be spent having brunch with my family... which makes this weekend the perfect combination of family, friends, food, fun, and fitness!

Off and running,
~Jessica

Take It And Run Thursday -- Gadget Tips!

There couldn't be a better topic for me, the self-proclaimed gadget-whore when it comes to fitness stuff. As I've remarked before, gadgets don't make you thin or fast, but they help me by providing a "shiny new toy!" mentality to get me psyched when workouts become tedious... so, I have a lot of them. But I will talk about my favorites!

Obviously, iPod. This goes without saying. I need a little music to get me going when I don't feel like running. However, sometimes the best part about the iPod is taking it OFF and enjoying the natural sounds of my run. Since I'm often running near water or at least through wooded areas, nothing compares to the sound of the babbling brook, the crunch of leaves, or the chirping birds that signify the sounds of spring. On my training runs with Kat, I've mostly gone without music, preferring to chat a bit. And that solved another mystery for me: I didn't actually believe that "conversation pace" was a real thing until I ran with her! :-)

I use my Polar heart rate monitor for anything that I do at the gym, and for weekday runs. It's customized for my specific zones, and it is comfortable to wear and easy to read.

BUT -- when I do outdoor long runs, I really like to wear my Garmin Forerunner -- because it tells me my mileage AND my pace, boldly, and I don't have to do any math. I like doing math, but not while I'm running. ;-)

And finally, my most recent favorite gadget is the GRUVE device by MUVE. I've written about it before, but you can read more at www.muveit.com.

I'd elaborate further, but Scary Trainer Liz did a number on me today -- fartleks and killers and running stairs and medicine ball situps and pushups and tigers and bears oh my and it's time for a hot bath and bed!

Off and running,
~Jessica

Week Two: The Tortoise and the Hare

Kat and I successfully concluded Week Two of half-marathon training today, a day early -- because the weather isn't supposed to be as nice tomorrow, and because my boyfriend is running in a 5K tomorrow that I'd like to go watch in the morning, and that leaves the rest of the day for relaxation and fun!

SO -- I'm happy to report that we went a total of 5.9 miles today (5 miles running, .9 walking), in 81 minutes, lapping Lake of the Isles twice, and concluding at Al's Bar for an icy cold beer... and lots of icy cold water (and some laughable attention from the types of folk who hang out in dark bars at 3 PM on sunny days, but I digress).

Kat was travelling this week, so we went our separate ways during the week in regards to running -- and due to a training class I'm taking at the gym, my schedule was a bit different than usual. When all was said and done, including my treadmill runs on Tuesday and Thursday, I ran 14 miles this week. Not bad!

5 miles is the longest run I've done in... I don't even know how long. POssibly since training for the marathon in 2007. I really didn't feel ready for it, and this is where I'm starting to recognize the benefit of a training partner, not only for accountability purposes, but for pacing and follow-through. Kat is taller than me, thinner, and naturally faster -- she was a sprinter in high school, so her gait will always be quicker than mine.

I, on the other hand, though slow, am somewhat of an energizer bunny, in that not only can I go go go (though slow slow slow), I can very easily drop and raise my heart rate -- this means that a quick 2 minute walk break (though we didn't take any of those today!), is enough to refresh me without making it difficult for me to start again.

But I digress -- the benefit of this partnership is that I'm the one controlling the pace with my Garmin... so I can slow us down when she gets revved up, but there were also multiple times where I felt myself lagging behind her and that cued me to look at my Garmin, and sure enough, we'd be going under our desired pace.

17 miles down...
...167 to go.

Off and (stretching, showering, napping, eating, sleeping, taking 2 days off and THEN) running!
~JessiferSeabs

Getting My GRUVE On

It's been a week now that I've worn this clever little white device on my hip, and week that I've been more cognizent of my MOVEMENT (Muvement?) than ever before. I've realized that, like with anything else, awareness is the answer.

There's a couple of factors in play here -- for one thing, I'm training for a half-marathon, so I'm automatically getting a bit more exercise than usual. For another, I've rejoined Weight Watchers after a tough year (bad breakup + broken elbow + other family / job stress = 25 lbs regained), so I'm journaling food and making time for more exercise than usual.

(Those of you new to this blog might not know that I lost about 70 lbs between 2004-2007, and in the past year, have regained about 25 of those lbs, which I'm DETERMINED to lose).

(I'm also about to go back to work in an office setting, after 4.5 years of officing out of my home and having all the time & flexibility in the world for exercise, laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, etc.)

(And I'm TERRIFIED of regaining the weight.)

I'm trying to make all these things (Weight Watchers, marathon training, Gruve device, home-exercise equipment) work in tandem with one another - so far with favorable results.

So here are my Week 1 Discoveries.

True, if I go out on a Saturday morning and run 5 miles, I probably don't need to worry about getting much more movement throughout the day -- but the rest of the week, a quick trip to the gym is not quite enough to hit my daily "green goal." And if I DON'T hit the gym or go for a run, then I really need to make a conscious effort to work movement into my day.

As I mentioned, I office out of my home. My house is 970 square feet. My job involves sitting at my desk, or on the sofa, working on the phone and computer all day.

On days like this, if I don't TRY to move, I don't.

And that's where this little guy has been so helpful to me -- because I'm a pretty determined gal, I am DETERMINED to hit my green goal every day -- or at least most days -- and I'm proud to say that in week 1, I hit blue or green everyday (and the blue days were only 30-50 calories away from green!). I've only felt the device buzz a couple of times, which means I'm moving around more frequently than I thought -- between letting the dog in and out, doing dishes, folding laundry and refilling my water / coffee, I guess I'm on my feet every 40-or-so minutes, even if it's only enough steps to walk the 20 feet to my kitchen and back.

After an incredibly tough workout on Tuesday, I'd declared yesterday a "rest day," but was dismayed by how slowly my device changed color throughout the day -- I walked to a nearby coffee shop to meet a friend in the afternoon, and walked home. I went up and down the stairs doing laundry a couple of times, and did a quick trip to Target just before dinner. I did not go for a run, a walk, or hit the gym, and the day was spent MOSTLY sitting... and then from 8:30 - 9:30 PM, found myself watching a movie while lightly pedaling and stepping off and on. I ended the day right on the fringe between blue and green, and called it a night.

When I plugged my device in and dug into the numbers (It can actually show you enough detail to show you how many calories you burned during specific MINUTES of the day), I was somewhat disgusted to see JUST how bad it is to sit there and watch TV. Most of that time, I was burning less than 1 calorie per minute, which boggles my mind. Using the stepper and pedals helped, raising it sometimes to 2-3 calories per minute, for very minimal effort. I think that even STANDING would have made it better.

The lesson here? It's NOT THAT HARD to burn the right number of calories with normal daily movement, but the second you become a couch potato, there's a huge opportunity cost in terms of maintaining a healthy weight. Factor in in the propensity to munch, crunch, and indulge in high-cal beverages (soda, beer, wine), while couch surfing, and keeping up with prime time becomes a dangerous trap of weight gain.

I briefly mentioned earlier that I'd gone back to Weight Watchers last week -- which means that tomorrow is my first offiical weigh-in. I've been sneaking some peeks at the scale, and I'm pretty sure I'll be down at least a pound -- I'm doing a lot of physical things right now (running, hitting the gym), so while I can't COMPLETELY credit that to this device, I know that the device has provided a very helpful knowledge base in terms of where my calories are going, when, and how. It's gotten me off the sofa more than once, if even to just walk around for a few minutes, take out the trash, shine the sink, whatever.

Food is also a major componant in this -- I've mentioned Weight Watchers a couple of times here, and I also met with a nutritionist at the gym who put me on a 1400 calorie-per-day routine, plus I'm supposed to eat what I burn -- ie, 1400 calories per day with no exercise is enough to help me lose weight, but if I go run 5 miles, I should probably be eating another 400 calories on top of that. Or at least half of that in order to strike the balance of burning calories and reducing caloric intake.

What I learned when I ran the 2007 marathon is that you can go run 20 miles on Saturday morning and STILL not lose weight if you aren't watching your caloric intake -- sure, I burned 1000 calories that morning, but then went out for pizza and wine and cheesecake, which means I probably consumed what I burned.

On that note -- I've been sitting here typing for nearly 40 minutes, which means it's time to get up, Muve around, and get my Gruve on.

See the entry below for today's Take It And Run Thursday piece.

And remember... you can order the Gruve device at www.gruve.com or www.muveit.com.

Off and Gruving-Towards-Green,
~JessiferSeabs

Take It And Run Thursday -- Ode To My Running Shoes

The theme of today's Take It And Run Thursday, courtesy of the Runner's Lounge, is to extoll the virtues of our shoes! Being somewhat of a shoe-fiend, I"m constantly raving about shoes that I find both comfortable and stylish and cute, but usually those shoes involve a pointy toe and a 3 inch heel... it's nice to talk passionately about a shoe that is less cute, but healthier and definitely more functional.

Specifically, we can only use as many words to praise our shoes as dollars we spent on them -- Hmmm. Good thing I bought an expensive pair this time!

S0 -- $100 + MN sales tax = 107 words.

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In my short career as a runner, I've experimented with multiple brands before landing on (in?) my most recent pair. New Balance.

And they feel like HOME.

They have enough cushion and stability to keep me from turning an ankle, while absorbing shock -- since I'm carrying some extra weight right now, cushion is important. I also have high arches, and have experimented with orthodics in the past, but got rid of them when I felt they caused more pain than relief. It is with great love and pride that my happy feet and I introduce you to My New Shoes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And on that note, I'll leave you with the words of Paolo Nutini, who pretty much sums up how I feel about the difference good footware can make in ANY situation, and does so in a fun, boppy song that is great to run to!

New Shoes by Paolo Nutini

Woke up cold one tuesday,
I'm looking tired and feeling quite sick,
I felt like there was something missing in my day to day life,
So I quickly opened the wardrobe,
Pulled out some jeans and a T-shirt that seemed clean,
Topped it off with a pair of old shoes,
That were ripped around the seams,
And I thought these shoes just don't suit me.

Hey, I put some new shoes on,
And suddenly everything is right,
I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,
It so inviting,
Oh, short on money,
But long on time,
Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,
And I'm running late,
And I dont need an excuse,
'cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.

Woke up late one thursday,
And I'm seeing stars as I'm rubbing my eyes,
And I felt like there were two days missing,
As I focused all the time,
And I made my way to the kitchen,
But I had to stop from the shock of what I found,
A room full of all my friends dancing round and round,
And I thought hello new shoes,
Byebye them blues.

Take me wondering through these streets,
Were bright lights and angels meet,
Stone to stone they take me on,
I'm walking to the break of dawn.

Off and running,
~JessiferSeabs